1. Greek Comedy From 5th century BCE Birdland

2. Definition Aristotle describes the genre of comedy in The Poetics. Comedy represents men as worse than they are in real life, whereas tragedy shows them better. Tragedy uses real people whereas comedy uses stereotypes.

3. Origin Comedy comes from “commos” and “oidos” which means drunken revelry Started with bands of singers dressing as and making fun of others (satire) Developed into the satyr play which was a humorous story that followed a trilogy of tragedies in the Festivals such as Lenaea and Dionysia Slapstick and crude humor was featured; often bawdy and political; play offers suggestions to solve the current problems

4. Old Comedy Old Comedy refers to plays written in the 5th c. BCE. The earliest surviving complete play is Aristophanes’ Acharnians, first performed in 425 BCE. The plot of comedies usually stretches reality in terms of time and place, jumping incredible geographic distances and rapidly changing scenes. Fantastical elements such as giant creatures and improbable disguises are mixed with references to the audience which delivers a roller-coaster ride of satire, parody, puns, exaggeration, colorful language, and crude jokes.

5. Purpose Plays were popular entertainment, they reveal some of the popular language used by the Greeks, language not usually found in more serious written material. Any public figure was fair game for satire, and even mythology and religion could be made fun of. Comedies usually concluded in a happy ending and the characters find a resolution to the original conflict

6. Play Structure Comedies gradually took on a five-part structure: Introduction, in which the basic fantasy is explained and developed by actors Parados, entry of the chorus (24 men), song and dance Contest, or Agon, a ritualized debate between opposing actors wearing masks, usually stock characters (cooks, soldiers, pimps, cunning slave) Parabasis, the chorus (often dressed as animals) addresses the audience on the topics of the day and hurls criticism at prominent citizens Exodus - A final banquet or wedding, song and dance

7. Aristophanes c. 460 BCE - c. 380 BCE Athenian writer of Old Greek Comedy Used stock characters, bawdy events, obscene language Most famous play: Lysistrata 411 BCE Other notable plays: The Frogs 405 BCE, The Birds 414 BCE, The Clouds 423 BCE

8. Comedy Playwrights Aristophanes (cont.) – Poked fun at politicians, philosophers, and fellow artists – Kleon, Socrates, Euripides Eleven of his plays survive complete and these are the only surviving examples of the Old Comedy genre Other notable playwrights: Philemon - c. 368 BCE - 263 BCE Menander - c. 342 BCE - c. 291 BCE

9. Sample Text Oh would some god, with sudden stroke, Convert me to a cloud of smoke! Like politicians’ words I’d rise In gaseous vapour to the skies. (line 50, Act One, Scene One, The Wasps by Aristophanes)

10. Performers Professional male actors played recurring stock characters by wearing exaggerated masks and elaborate costumes Voice and gesture were extremely important The main actors - one protagonist and two other actors, performed all of the speaking parts Restrictions ensured equality in competition and kept down the costs to the state which funded the professional actors The professional male chorus, costumes, musicians, and rehearsal time were funded by an appointed private citizen, a khorēgos.

11. The Birds The Birds “Ornithes” Written by Aristophanes Was first performed in 414 BCE at the City Dionysia Festival where it won second prize. The Birds is a fairly conventional example of Old Comedy. Some modern critics call the play a fantasy because of its mimicry of birds and gaiety of its songs.

12. The Story The story follows Pisthetaerus (Trusty Friend), and Euelpides (Good Hope) Athenians who are disillusioned with life in Athens and its law courts, politics, false oracles and military antics. They hope to make a new start in life somewhere else and seek the King of the Birds to persuade the world’s birds to create a new city in the sky, thereby taking control over all communications between men and gods. During the play the chorus of birds steps forward to state various laws forbidding crimes against their kind (such as catching, caging, stuffing or eating them) and advise the festival judges to award the play first place or risk getting crapped on! SurfinBird, Bird is the Word 1963, The Trashmen - Surfin'BirdSurfin'Bird